I recently decided to shake up my guitar collection and purchased a Gibson J-45. The guitar looks and sounds absolutely beautiful, but some early onset arthritis in my hands has not been too happy with my decision to continue playing big old dreadnoughts. It is very taxing to play or practice for as long as I’d like. I decided I needed to find a smaller guitar that would go a bit easier on me. I saw that you were about to release the Grand Theater and decided to pick one up.

This guitar has given back the joy of playing without pain. Instead of counting the minutes until my joints are too inflamed to play anymore, I can go on for hours. I can explore songwriting ideas again. I can play songs I haven’t been able to play in years. All without sacrificing tone for ease of play. Sheer childlike bliss. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone, and the appreciation for when it returns is immeasurable.

The Taylor Grand Theater has replaced my grimace with a smile. I am so moved by what Taylor has been able to offer me. I want to thank you from the very bottom of my heart for keeping an acoustic guitar in my hands and music in my heart for years to come.

I received my new GTe Mahogany from Chicago Music Exchange (they are very prompt and courteous). The tone is extremely well balanced — clear, bright and articulate across the spectrum from low to high frequencies, with much more volume than I anticipated from an instrument this size.

After 79 years, playability is now crucial to me, and this GTe has exceeded my expectations in all regards. It just makes playing easier regardless of fretboard position or complexity of the chord sequences.

I play an eclectic mix of fingerpicking, flatpicking and rhythm, a style acquired listening to Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Scotty Moore during my formative years; any one or any mixture of these styles sounds great on the GTe Mahogany.

I started in the 1950s playing Kay, Harmony and Stella guitars, migrating to Guild, Gretsch and Gibson as finances permitted. Currently, based upon the quality, sound, playability, appearance, value at the price point, and Taylor’s efforts at sustainability and good corporate citizenship, I play primarily Taylor guitars, and any future purchases will be Taylors.

Thanks for another great musical instrument. I hope you will consider adding the GTe to the 300 or 500 Series in the near future.

Just thought I’d let you know how much I love Taylor and share my Taylor story.

Back in 2014, my parents could no longer manage their steel narrow boat (U.K. canals) and sold it, with some of the proceeds coming to me and my brother.

Flush with the cash, I went on the search for a high-end acoustic with a Takamine or Martin mostly in mind. My first port of call was Sounds Great near Manchester (sadly now gone), where I tried a few guitars and was immediately struck by the rich tone and volume of a Taylor 814ce (2014) they had. I tried a few more makes and then left it for a week until I could do the same at PMT Salford. They had a much bigger range of all makes, but none grabbed me like the 814ce did.

So, back to Sounds Great I went, and fortunately the guitar was still there to be secured and was still as rich and loud as I remembered it. It’s a stunning guitar that I love and will keep for my lifetime, not only because it is so good but also because it will remind me of my father, who is now unfortunately very ill.

So began my love affair with my Taylor, loving every minute my 814ce is in my hands and looking forward to devouring Wood&Steel when it drops through the post. So, when I saw another 800 Series Taylor come up secondhand, I just had to give it a try.

Driving to meet the guy selling it, an 810 LTD from 1997, I was initially pretty lukewarm on the idea, wondering why I was bothering, but seconds after playing it, my mind was made up. Again, a stunningly beautiful looking and sounding guitar that I am told was made for and sold at a show in the U.S., then brought over to the U.K. with the original owner.

So, now I have another beautiful old guitar in addition to my youngster, and I’m never going to sell either. I’ll be 60 next year and hope to enjoy them both for a few more years to come.

I love Taylor as a company, and you make amazing guitars. People may say high-end guitars are not worth the money, but the joy and pleasure my Taylors give me and the richness and ease of the playing are worth every penny.

Keep up the good work.

The very first Taylor I ever played was a friend’s 1985 815 [jumbo] with a mustache bridge. The first Taylor I ever fell in love with was 1996 514. The first Taylor that I ever bought was a 2002 314 LTD with brown maple back and sides. And, now that I am 64 years young, I have a 522e. It’s the first guitar that meets my personal needs in that it’s a small body with the short scale along with the mahogany top, which is great for flatpicking and fingerstyle.

On December 6 of last year, you built a 224ce-K DLX model with solid koa top. Sometime between then and now, the guitar went through an original sale at Music Villa in Bozeman, Montana. I am fortunate that the original purchaser apparently did not like the guitar. Who knows, it might have been a gift.

Last week, the first owner traded it in on a Telecaster. His loss. I bought this guitar the same day it was traded in and feel very fortunate. I am also very fortunate to own an all-solid 1975 Martin D-35, an all-solid early ’80s Gibson Dove, and a 1974 Ramirez 1a, which has pear laminate sides. All three guitars have stellar sound and quirks like all great guitars do. But you have created a spectacular instrument using a laminate, and at a price point that is pretty amazing.

Sound. To. DIE. For. Right out of the box. No waiting 10 years for the sound to open up. Alternate tunings sound breathtaking, especially double drop D; Neil Young’s “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” will make you cry. Stays in tune. Good reproduction of the acoustic sound when pickup used. On top of that, I’ve never had what I consider a “beautiful” guitar, but I do now. The surface work is immaculate (and apparently sweat-resistant!).

Also, the staff at Music Villa couldn’t have been more helpful. Their selection of instruments was unparalleled. Gino, Paul, Abel and Josh were very thoughtful and pleasant and always available. They set me up with a sound room with any and all guitars I wanted to play. They let my friend and I drive them nuts over two visits for a grand total of six hours before I finally was able to make a decision. Awesome!

Please accept my thanks.

I’ve owned a few guitars, never anything high-end, and actually had to stop playing for a couple of years due to arthritis. Then, with the magic of meds and a great rheumatologist, I was able to start playing again. During my hiatus, I didn’t notice that the neck on my guitar got badly warped, so time for a new one. I had read about guys picking up a guitar and thinking, this is it, this is the one, the guitar I have looked for all my life. I bought a GS Mini Rosewood, and this is it, the tone is as good as possible, and the ease of play is as good as possible. While I no longer have pain from arthritis, my bent fingers don’t do my playing any favours, but the small neck makes playing at least possible, even if on some days, G7 or a barred F are close to impossible. Thank you for putting a smile back on my face.

Greetings from Belgium. I just bought another Taylor guitar in the unbeatable 300 Series. As I already own a 314ce, a 355ce, and an Academy 12e-N, this is my first V-Class guitar, a wonderful 327e. If I were a richer man, I would have opted for a 524ce, but they are well above my budget, as I am a working (but non-professional) freelance musician. Nevertheless, the 327e simply blew me away, as it is a very warm-sounding instrument. I had seen some tests on the Internet where the V-Class instruments were described as having “marginally less bass response,” but the bass response of my 327e contradicts that — it booms like my old [other brand], but in a more balanced way, without overpowering the trebles! Lovely in fingerstyle, and just as nice with a pick.

While I more or less stopped using picks about 10 years ago, as I found that the standard picks, no matter the thickness, material or brand, made me sound shrill and brittle, I happened to see that Taylor also has picks on offer. I ordered some six-packs of various materials and thicknesses and, lo and behold! The Thermex variety made my jazz boxes sound like a dream, and the acoustics came alive like never before, sounding warm without losing clarity and focus.

Of course, being a player for nearly 50 years, I was well aware that thickness and material of a pick have a huge influence on the sound of a guitar. But these new ones exceeded all of my expectations and renewed my enthusiasm in playing fast articulated (acoustic) guitar solos, something I haven’t done in more than ten years.

While Taylor is a leading manufacturer of the finest acoustic guitars in the world, I do appreciate that you devote time and energy to something as humble as a pick. This is where our tone, our voice as a musician, starts. Whatever expensive woods and pickups you attach the strings to, if what triggers the strings to vibrate in the first place does not sound OK, these technological wonders and woodworking skills can only amplify those horrors.

For the last two months, I have ordered and returned five different guitars from online stores. I have never owned a guitar that cost more than a grand, so I was ready to look for a good acoustic that I can cherish and pass on to my kid. I’ve tried [several brands], and none of them satisfied my playing needs and visual preferences. I finally came across the Taylor 317e Grand Pacific and went ahead and ordered it. At this point, my expectations were low. When my guitar came, I opened the box and was immediately delighted by the country western case. I opened the case and immediately inspected the guitar all around. FLAWLESS! Beautiful craftsmanship. So far so good. After playing it I was blown away by neck and ease of play. It is hands-down the most comfortable neck on an acoustic guitar I have ever played. It delivers the exact sound I was looking for and more. I am not a famous musician or well-known on social media, but I have told everyone I know about how wonderful this guitar is. I know I am just one person and it might not mean that much, but Taylor has earned a lifelong customer. This guitar was worth every hard-earned penny. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

I recently decided to shake up my guitar collection and purchased a Gibson J-45. The guitar looks and sounds absolutely beautiful, but some early onset arthritis in my hands has not been too happy with my decision to continue playing big old dreadnoughts. It is very taxing to play or practice for as long as I’d like. I decided I needed to find a smaller guitar that would go a bit easier on me. I saw that you were about to release the Grand Theater and decided to pick one up.

This guitar has given back the joy of playing without pain. Instead of counting the minutes until my joints are too inflamed to play anymore, I can go on for hours. I can explore songwriting ideas again. I can play songs I haven’t been able to play in years. All without sacrificing tone for ease of play. Sheer childlike bliss. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone, and the appreciation for when it returns is immeasurable.

The Taylor Grand Theater has replaced my grimace with a smile. I am so moved by what Taylor has been able to offer me. I want to thank you from the very bottom of my heart for keeping an acoustic guitar in my hands and music in my heart for years to come.

I received my new GTe Mahogany from Chicago Music Exchange (they are very prompt and courteous). The tone is extremely well balanced — clear, bright and articulate across the spectrum from low to high frequencies, with much more volume than I anticipated from an instrument this size.

After 79 years, playability is now crucial to me, and this GTe has exceeded my expectations in all regards. It just makes playing easier regardless of fretboard position or complexity of the chord sequences.

I play an eclectic mix of fingerpicking, flatpicking and rhythm, a style acquired listening to Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Scotty Moore during my formative years; any one or any mixture of these styles sounds great on the GTe Mahogany.

I started in the 1950s playing Kay, Harmony and Stella guitars, migrating to Guild, Gretsch and Gibson as finances permitted. Currently, based upon the quality, sound, playability, appearance, value at the price point, and Taylor’s efforts at sustainability and good corporate citizenship, I play primarily Taylor guitars, and any future purchases will be Taylors.

Thanks for another great musical instrument. I hope you will consider adding the GTe to the 300 or 500 Series in the near future.

Just thought I’d let you know how much I love Taylor and share my Taylor story.

Back in 2014, my parents could no longer manage their steel narrow boat (U.K. canals) and sold it, with some of the proceeds coming to me and my brother.

Flush with the cash, I went on the search for a high-end acoustic with a Takamine or Martin mostly in mind. My first port of call was Sounds Great near Manchester (sadly now gone), where I tried a few guitars and was immediately struck by the rich tone and volume of a Taylor 814ce (2014) they had. I tried a few more makes and then left it for a week until I could do the same at PMT Salford. They had a much bigger range of all makes, but none grabbed me like the 814ce did.

So, back to Sounds Great I went, and fortunately the guitar was still there to be secured and was still as rich and loud as I remembered it. It’s a stunning guitar that I love and will keep for my lifetime, not only because it is so good but also because it will remind me of my father, who is now unfortunately very ill.

So began my love affair with my Taylor, loving every minute my 814ce is in my hands and looking forward to devouring Wood&Steel when it drops through the post. So, when I saw another 800 Series Taylor come up secondhand, I just had to give it a try.

Driving to meet the guy selling it, an 810 LTD from 1997, I was initially pretty lukewarm on the idea, wondering why I was bothering, but seconds after playing it, my mind was made up. Again, a stunningly beautiful looking and sounding guitar that I am told was made for and sold at a show in the U.S., then brought over to the U.K. with the original owner.

So, now I have another beautiful old guitar in addition to my youngster, and I’m never going to sell either. I’ll be 60 next year and hope to enjoy them both for a few more years to come.

I love Taylor as a company, and you make amazing guitars. People may say high-end guitars are not worth the money, but the joy and pleasure my Taylors give me and the richness and ease of the playing are worth every penny.

Keep up the good work.

The very first Taylor I ever played was a friend’s 1985 815 [jumbo] with a mustache bridge. The first Taylor I ever fell in love with was 1996 514. The first Taylor that I ever bought was a 2002 314 LTD with brown maple back and sides. And, now that I am 64 years young, I have a 522e. It’s the first guitar that meets my personal needs in that it’s a small body with the short scale along with the mahogany top, which is great for flatpicking and fingerstyle.

On December 6 of last year, you built a 224ce-K DLX model with solid koa top. Sometime between then and now, the guitar went through an original sale at Music Villa in Bozeman, Montana. I am fortunate that the original purchaser apparently did not like the guitar. Who knows, it might have been a gift.

Last week, the first owner traded it in on a Telecaster. His loss. I bought this guitar the same day it was traded in and feel very fortunate. I am also very fortunate to own an all-solid 1975 Martin D-35, an all-solid early ’80s Gibson Dove, and a 1974 Ramirez 1a, which has pear laminate sides. All three guitars have stellar sound and quirks like all great guitars do. But you have created a spectacular instrument using a laminate, and at a price point that is pretty amazing.

Sound. To. DIE. For. Right out of the box. No waiting 10 years for the sound to open up. Alternate tunings sound breathtaking, especially double drop D; Neil Young’s “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” will make you cry. Stays in tune. Good reproduction of the acoustic sound when pickup used. On top of that, I’ve never had what I consider a “beautiful” guitar, but I do now. The surface work is immaculate (and apparently sweat-resistant!).

Also, the staff at Music Villa couldn’t have been more helpful. Their selection of instruments was unparalleled. Gino, Paul, Abel and Josh were very thoughtful and pleasant and always available. They set me up with a sound room with any and all guitars I wanted to play. They let my friend and I drive them nuts over two visits for a grand total of six hours before I finally was able to make a decision. Awesome!

Please accept my thanks.

I’ve owned a few guitars, never anything high-end, and actually had to stop playing for a couple of years due to arthritis. Then, with the magic of meds and a great rheumatologist, I was able to start playing again. During my hiatus, I didn’t notice that the neck on my guitar got badly warped, so time for a new one. I had read about guys picking up a guitar and thinking, this is it, this is the one, the guitar I have looked for all my life. I bought a GS Mini Rosewood, and this is it, the tone is as good as possible, and the ease of play is as good as possible. While I no longer have pain from arthritis, my bent fingers don’t do my playing any favours, but the small neck makes playing at least possible, even if on some days, G7 or a barred F are close to impossible. Thank you for putting a smile back on my face.

I’m currently trying my hand at some still-life photography. I thought you might like to see what goes on inside your guitars once they leave the factory. By the way, thank you for the maintenance videos on YouTube. I’ve just re-strung that guitar following one of the guides.

I am a 54-year-old disabled veteran and author who has never played guitar but always had a desire to learn to play. I am finally in a place in my life to fully commit to becoming an accomplished player. Older, yes, but much more committed. I’ve been practicing every day and look forward to playing my first real song.

After doing a lot of research, listening to different brands of guitars and comparisons, I settled on Taylor. The 814ce became my favorite model after researching several models, and I just received my Taylor V-Class 814ce last Saturday.

On my journey to becoming a great player, I am learning everything Taylor because I believe the history, heritage and knowing about the people behind Taylor will make me a better player and human being.

Anyway, I love Taylor Primetime for the education, fun, knowledge, “nerdiness” and all the players in each episode. Thank you for making me feel like I belong.

I’m too old for writing fan letters, but I have to say I’m absolutely blown away with Taylor’s service. Twenty years ago, my wife gifted me a 410ce LTD at a time in our lives when we didn’t have a lot of money. It’s my most prized possession. I nervously sent it on a 6,000-mile round trip from upstate New York to you in California for service and basically got back a new guitar. Gobsmacked! 

These days, just getting folks to do what they claim to do seems like a challenge, so finding people who go above and beyond is a real pleasure. Your service people fall into this category. From the swift, efficient and helpful communication of Adam Bernal to the top-class return arrangements and communications of Mike Puckett, and of course the patience and high skill level of Chris Bearden in service, your team was amazing. Whatever you’re paying these people, it ain’t enough!

A friend of mine bought a Taylor guitar a few years ago, and he always passes along his copy of Wood&Steel to me once he’s done reading it. I have to tell you how incredibly impressed I am with not only your guitars, but also your company. Your tree husbandry was already above and beyond the call of duty; now I read about your urban tree program. Scott Paul’s article describing the partnership with West Coast Arborists really nailed it for me: Taylor is The Real Deal. How many musical instrument companies have a position of Director of Natural Resource Sustainability? You guys don’t just talk, you walk the walk. As someone who advocates for urban forests, loves working with wood, and occasionally plays guitar, I just feel compelled to write and say thank you.

I aspire to own a Taylor guitar one day. When I do, I’ll feel great satisfaction not only knowing that the instrument was designed with tremendous thought and care (which is clear from reading Bob and Andy’s columns), but also that buying a Taylor supports a good company. Thank you so much for forging such an excellent path in this world. Please know that your efforts are appreciated!

This is in response to Gabriel O’Brien’s article in Wood&Steel [Vol. 98 / Issue 3], “An Introduction to Recording Acoustic Guitar.” The excellent article aptly shows the tried-and-true method of placing a cardioid mic about 12 inches from the top, pointing a touch off the hole. One can always expect excellent, natural-sounding results from this single-channel (mono) capture.

For a “stereo” method, the article briefly mentions the possibility of using an XY pattern, but I find that XY still captures the instrument more or less in mono (even when the channels are fully spread, the guitar appears compactly centered), while providing a broad “stereo” spread of the acoustic environment around the guitar. Nice! But…

Years ago, I pioneered a two-mic acoustic guitar recording technique that provides two distinct-sounding channels that can be very effective in a mix:

Mic 1, which can actually be pointed a few frets back from the end of the fingerboard, picks up what I would call a “scooped” sound — lots of bottom and a bright, stringy top, but not much “meaty” midrange.

Mic 2, pointed near the center of the lower bout, picks up very little bass and absolutely no stringy treble, but effectively captures the meaty midrange of the instrument — thus filling in the spectral range that is missing from the Mic 1 signal.

As such, the two channels allow for a range of interesting mixing or blending options, such as:

• Spreading the sounds of the guitar widely across the stereo speakers
• Enhanced adjustment of tonal balance to suit a given orchestration, etc.

Because the mics point to different sources of radiation from the top, the signals do not interact in a way to cause a lot of phase cancellation when summed to mono.

Just thought I’d share.

I just wanted to share a cool photo that we took out in South Dakota. I thought you would appreciate it. I have been playing Taylor guitars since my very first Baby Taylor Swift bedazzled guitar when I was 8 years old. (I included that photo too.) Since then I have been writing and releasing music, performing and just chasing the dream. I go to Nashville as often as I can and plan to move there in the next couple years. I hope to someday have my own signature Tiffany Johnson Taylor guitars! I love writing and performing with your guitars.